Continuous drying tumbler



July 7, 1925., 1,545,396

E.. J. CARROLL CONTINUOUS DRYING TUMBLER Filed Oct. 7, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 7, 1925. 1,545,396

' E. J. CARRQLL CONTINUOUS DRYING TUMBLER Filed Oct. 7, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i zzz/@m05 `Iuly 7, 1925.

E. J. CARROLL CONTINUOUS DRYING TUMBLER Filed Oct. '7, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 oooo oooo @o @o oooo ooo oooo oooo A v ooo@ Patented July 7, 1.925.

- UNITED STATES EMIL J'. CARROLL, OF CINCINNATI,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CONTINUOUS DRYING TUMBLER.

Application mea october 7, 192i.`

To all whom, it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL J. CARROLL, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have inventedl certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous Drying Tumblers, of which the following is a specilication. p

This invention relates to drying tumblers such as are used for drying garments, clothing, textile fabrics, or other materials that have been washed o1^subjected to-cleaning operations.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved drier which is continuous in operation and which enables the goods or materials to be dried to be handled in separate lots or batches thereby doing away with the necessity for individual marking of each piece and' adapting the drier for use in handling family washings.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved drier of this type in which the material to be dried is handled in a se-k ries of separate containers which are slowly traversed in turn through a long drying chamber aiid after emptying are returned to the feeding end to be sent through again with another charge. A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the mechanism for handling the containers and subjecting the material therein to the flow of a current of dry air. l

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

ln the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly broken out and in section, illustrating the delivery end of one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the feeding end; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3-3, Fig. l; Fig. Llis partly an elevation and partly a longitudinal section of a container; Fig. 5 is a cross section thereof, on the line 5&5, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 isa detail plan view illustrating the fan driving mechanism.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a relatively long narrow hollow casing 1 provided with a roof 2 and side walls 3, in one of which are a series of longitudinally spaced hinged windows 4 to enable the operator to inspect the interior of the casing and gain access thereto for cleaning or repairing the mechanism. Said casseriai No. 506,117. .l

ing rests upon the floor or other support and 1s provided in its bottom with two horizontal walls 5 forming a long channel or heating chamber 5Et in which is a. suitable heater, such as al series of steam pipes 6v which extend the full length of the channel and the purpose of current for drying purposes. Said chamber is open to the atmosphere at one end, as at the left end., Fig. l, and at its opposite end communicates with another longitudinally extending channel or-duct 6 beneath a curved perforated plate 6h lying' at the bot- 'tom and along the center line of the drying chamber 6. Above the heating series of supports 7 which are mounted two parallel shafts 9, shown as hollo-w tubes, which are inclined downwardly at a slight angle from the feeding end to the discharge end of the casing and extend outwardly beyond both ends thereof. Suitable means is provided for rotating said shafts at uniform speed in the same direction. For this purpose the two shafts are pro-vided with sprockets 10 of like lsize connected by a chain 11. One of said shafts is connected by gearing 12 to the motor 13 which is preferably an electric coils are a carrying rollers 8 on which -is to heat the air motor of the variable speedreversib-le type.V i

Spaced some distance above the shafts 9 and below the roof 2the chamber 6 within the casing is provided with a ceiling'which includes a. series of closely spaced vanes or dampers 14e each of which has a normally de pending arm 15. These dampers control communication from the chamber 6c within the casing to a series each of which communicates by a passage 18 with the suction side of a. suitable fan or blower 19. The blowers, of which any num` ber may be used, are suit-ably driven lin any manner, such as by being connected by crossed belts 19a to a common Vdriving shaft 20, driven by an electric motor 21, prefer# ably of the variable speed type. The outlets from theseveral fans may all communicate with a common conduit 21EL leading to the atmosphere, or, if desired, a branch conduit 2lb controlled by a damper 21c may return all or a part of the exhausted air to the inlet to chamber 5a to recirculate it according to well vknown practice.

At the top of the casing is located a track or run-way consisting of two parallel angle of suction chambers 17,.

irons 22, said run-way extending outwardly i beyond the discharge end of tliecasing at the left in Fig. 1 and being inclined downwardly toward the feedinov end where it extends out beyond the ends of the shafts 9.k The lower end of said run-way is sup-ported by a frame 23 (Fig. 2) which also supports a curved outer track or run-Way 24 which is curved in the arc of a circle around the end of the inclined. run-way as a center and terminates in a horizontal bottom portion 25. y Said bottom portion is provided with a swinging gate 26 having two upwardly extending arms 27, thevpurpose of which is to release, one at a time, `a series of drum like containers in which the material to be dried is placed. 28 represents a table provided with a rotatable top 29 turning about a vertical axis and lying between the track and the exposed ends of shafts 9.

V ith the apparatus so far described are used a series of separate but like containers for the material to be dried, one of which is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Each of said containers comprises two cup shaped end heads or caps 30, one of which is provided with a hinged door 31 having a suitable latch 32. Said end caps or heads are connected by longitudinal re-enforcing and strengthening members 33, shown as angle irons with one flange extending radially inwardly so as to serve as a baffle for turning over the material. The cylindrical wall of the drum is made of wire mesh screen, as.

indicated at 34.

The apparatus is uscd'as follows: In Fig. 2 a container marked A is indicated at the loading station with its door open. `In this position the swinging gate 2G is turned with one of its arms 27 extending above the track 25 to hold back the following containers. When the container is filled it is rolled forward upon table top 29 and is tui'ned until its axisk is parallel with the upon it is slid forward into position upon said shafts. The rotation of said shafts produces corresponding rolling rotation of the container and because of the slight inclination of said shafts the container has a slight tendency to and is gradually moved from right to left in Figs. 1 and 2. Either.

the container is pushed beyond a suitable entrance door or doors 35 at the feeding end of the casing or the container is allowed to pass said doors by the progressive movement imparted to it by said shafts 9. As soon as the container enters the drying chamber its upper portion engages the arms 15 of the vanes or dampers and opens com-v munication with one or more suction chambers lying about the container. Consequently when one or a series of containers are within the casing each container is subjected to the eect of a current of air coming from the heating coils and through perforated plate 6b and flowing to the exhaust shafts v9, whereend of Lumen fans. Said air current absorbs the moisture and carries it away. The shafts 9 are rotated at a proper speed determined by the quantity of moisture in the goods and the speed of operation of the -fans so that during a single traverse of the container through the casing the material is fully dried. When the container reaches the discharge end at the left in Fig. 1 the outlet door 36 is opened and the container is removed frorn shafts 9 to a table 37 where it is emptied after which it is lifted to the return track 22 and allowed to roll back to the feeding end of the machine where it is brought to the working' level by the curved track 24, as shown in Fig. 2, and is then filled and again sent through the drier.

What I claim is:

1. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber, means for passing a container through said chamber, and additional means arranged above said chamber for returning the container to the entrance of said chamber.

2. Drying apparatus, ing chamber, means for through said chamber, readily removable from said means, and means arranged above said chamber for returning the container to the entrance of said chamber.

3. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber, a suction chamber above the same, a suction producing device at one side of said suction chamber and communicating therewith, means for advancing containers throughsaid chamber, and means above said suction chamber for returning the empty containers.

4. Drying apparatus, 'comprising a drying chamber, a suction chamber above the same, a suction producing device at one side of said suction chamber and communicatino'therewith, means for advancing containers through said chamber, means above said suction chamber for returning the empty containers, and means at the feeding the drying chamber for releasing the returned containers at a lower level.

5. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber, a suction chamber above the same, means for advancing containers through said drying chamber, means 'whereby the moving containers control communication between said chambers, and a return track for said containers located above said suction chamber. l

6. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber, a suction chamber above the same, means for advancing containers through said drying chamber, means wherecomprising a drypassing a container the container being by the moving containers control communii tion chamber and at the feeding end of said drying chamber leading downward to the entrance thereto.

7. Drying apparatus, comprisin a drying chamber, a suction chamber a ove the same, means for advancing containers through said drying chamber, means whereby the moving containers control communication between said chambers, a return track for said containers .located above said suction chamber, and means for releasing ebnf lainers one by one to be fed to the drying chamber.

8. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber, a suction chamber above the same, means for advancing containers through said drying chamber, means whereby-the moving containers control communica ion between said chambers, a return track for said containers located above said suction chamber and at the feeding endv of said drying chamber leading downward to the entrance thereto, and means for releasing containers one by one to be fed to the drying' chamber.

In testimony whereof I hereby aix my signature.

EMIL` J. CARROLL. 

